Jupiter closer than usual; check it out– In the night sky

By David Leake

Tomorrow night Jupiter reaches the “opposition” point in its orbit. This means Jupiter is opposite the Sun from our point of view, so it rises in the east as the Sun sets.

It also means Jupiter and our Earth are on the same side of the Sun together, so Jupiter is closer than usual (a scant 370 million miles) and appears really bright. Check it out with binoculars or a small telescope! You may be surprised at how large the planet appears. Plus, look for the four natural satellites near the planet.

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